Arterial Blood Gases

Test Overview

An arterial blood gas (ABG) test measures the acidity (pH) and the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. This test is used to check how well your lungs are able to move oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide from the blood.

As blood passes through your lungs, oxygen moves into the blood while carbon dioxide moves out of the blood into the lungs. An ABG test uses blood drawn from an artery, where the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels can be measured before they enter body tissues. An ABG measures:

• Partial pressure of oxygen (PaO₂). This measures the pressure of oxygen dissolved in the blood and how well oxygen is able to move from the airspace of the lungs into the blood.
• Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO₂). This measures how much carbon dioxide is dissolved in the blood and how well carbon dioxide is able to move out of the body.
• pH. The pH measures hydrogen ions (H+) in blood. The pH of blood is usually between 7.35 and 7.45. A pH of less than 7.35 is called acid and a pH greater than 7.45 is called basic (alkaline).
• Bicarbonate (HCO₃). Bicarbonate is a chemical that keeps the pH of blood from becoming too acid. If the pH level drops, HCO₃ is absorbed by the kidneys and returned to the blood instead of passing out of the body in the urine.
• Oxygen content (O₂CT) and oxygen saturation (O₂Sat) values. O₂ content measures the amount of oxygen in the blood. Oxygen saturation measures how much of the hemoglobin in the red blood cells is carrying oxygen (O₂).

Blood for an ABG test is taken from an artery. Most other blood tests are done on a sample of blood taken from a vein, after the blood has already passed through the body's tissues where the oxygen is used up and carbon dioxide is produced.

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Author:	Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC	Last Updated July 28, 2006
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Robert L. Cowie, MB, FCP(SA), MD, MSc, MFOM - Pulmonology
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